“Oh, Madam,” cried he, “you are all goodness and benevolence! but
at present
I hope you will excuse her, for I fear she has hardly fortitude
sufficient to see you: in a short time perhaps-”
“In a very short time, then,” said Lord Orville, “I hope you will
yourself
introduce her, and that we shall have the pleasure of wishing you both
joy:-allow me, my Evelina, to say we, and permit me, in your name,
as well as my own, to entreat that the first guests we shall have
the happiness of receiving may be Mr. and Mrs. Macartney.”
A servant then came to beg I would walk up stairs.
I besought Lord Orville to accompany me; but he feared the displeasure
of Sir
John, who had desired to see me alone. He led me, however, to the
foot of the stairs, and made the kindest efforts to give me courage:
but indeed he did not succeed; for the interview appeared to me in
all its terrors, and left me no feeling but apprehension.
The moment I reached the landing-place, the drawing-room door was
opened: and
my father, with a voice of kindness, called out, “My child, is it you?”
“Yes, Sir,” cried I, springing forward, and kneeling at his feet,
“it is your
child, if you will own her!”
He knelt by my side, and, folding me in his arms, “Own thee,”
repeated he,
“yes, my poor girl, and Heaven knows with what bitter
contrition!” Then, raising both himself and me, he brought me into the
drawing-room, shut the door, and took me to the window; where, looking
at me with great earnestness, “Poor unhappy Caroline!” cried he; and,
to my inexpressible concern, he burst into tears. Need I tell you,
my dear Sir, how mine flowed at the sight?
I would again have embraced his knees; but, hurrying from me, he flung
himself upon a sofa, and, leaning his face on his arms, seemed for
some time absorbed in bitterness of grief.
I ventured not to interrupt a sorrow I so much respected; but
waited in
silence, and at a distance, till he recovered from its violence. But
then it seemed in a moment to give way to a kind of frantic fury;
for starting suddenly, with a sternness which at once surprised and
frightened me, “Child,” cried he, “hast thou yet sufficiently humbled
thy father?-if thou hast, be contented with this proof of my weakness,
and no longer force thyself into my presence!”
Thunderstruck by a command so unexpected, I stood still and
speechless, and
doubted whether my own ears did not deceive me.